Tyler Perry's THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS Breaks OWN Records with 1.7 Million Viewers

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network continues its strong ratings momentum as 1.77 million viewers watched the series premiere of Tyler Perry's new original series "The Haves and the Have Nots" on Tuesday night, May 28 at 9 p.m. making it the highest rated series debut in network history.

From prolific writer, director, producer Tyler Perry, "The Haves and the Have Nots" follows the complicated dynamic between the rich and powerful Cryer family and the hired help who work in their opulent mansion set in Savannah, Georgia. OWN premiered two back-to-back episodes debuting a new night of original programming on Tuesday nights, attracting 1.77million total viewers for the premiere episode at 9 p.m. (1.57 W25-54 rating) building to over 1.8 million viewers tuning in for the second episode at 10 p.m. (1.67 W25-54 rating). The premiere episode built every quarter hour, growing +20% over the course of the 9 p.m. hour. Continuing the solid growth for the night, the second episode at 10 p.m. also built or held each quarter.

For Q2 2013 to-date, OWN continues to deliver double-digit growth, up +12% in total viewers.

Tonight (Wednesday, May 29) marks the premiere of Tyler Perry's new comedy series "Love Thy Neighbor" with two back-to-back, half-hour episodes from 9-10 p.m. The series is set at The Love Train Diner, a family run restaurant where every day the menu serves up good food, great laughs, valuable life lessons and a whole lot of love. Diner owner and feisty family matriarch Hattie Mae Love (Patrice Lovely, "A Madea Christmas") has her hands full not only managing her customers but her family drama, too.

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey's heart and creative instincts inform the brand - and the magnetism of the channel. Winfrey provides leadership in programming and attracts superstar talent to join her in primetime, building a global community of like-minded viewers and leading that community to connect on social media and beyond. OWN is a singular destination on cable. Depth with edge. Heart. Star power. Connection. And endless possibilities. OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications. The network debuted on January 1, 2011 and is available in 85 million homes. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com.